Too Much Time
by totallyrandomwigs
Summary: Mike and Sulley are retiring from Monsters Inc. together, and Mike is a little worried about how he will cope. But when tragedy strikes, Sulley is the one who has difficulty coping.


_**Author's Note**_

_**This is a bit of an experiment. I'm planning on doing a series of one-shots with different themes – I.E sad, funny, romantic, that kind of thing. I'm a pretty inexperienced writer, so I'd appreciate any suggestions or advice. Enjoy. **_

Sulley sat silently, looking at his empty sitting room. It had been a week already. Exactly seven days ago, Mike Waszowski had sat in that armchair opposite, and a bored-looking Celia lounged on the two-seater sofa. Seven days ago, everything had been completely different.

'...I've also thought about taking up a night course in Advanced Mandarin for businessmen...' Mike burbled enthusiastically. Sulley snorted with laughter, and Celia sighed and shook her head, her snake hair hissing in resignation.

Mike and Sulley were one week from retirement. Technically, Mike should have retired over a year ago, but he'd opted to stay on until Sulley retired. But now they were retiring together, and Mike was absolutely bursting at the seams with plans for their twilight years.

'He seems excited,' Sulley mumbled to Celia, when Mike went to the kitchen to make some drinks. Celia snorted. 'He's scared.'

'Scared? Mike? Pull the other one, Celia.'

'I mean it. I mean, that company and his work has been his life for so long. He really gave his all. Now he's retiring, there's going to be a big hole in his life. I think he's worried he'll have too much time, no meaning or purpose.'

'Hmm.' Sulley scratched his chin thoughtfully. 'I think you're right, Celia. I wonder what I can do to make him feel better.'

Celia shrugged. 'Be there for him, I suppose. You two are always there for each other.'

They had no time to say more, because Mike burst in with a tray of drinks, babbling on about night courses and hobbies.

Mike and Celia left a few hours later, after Mike had properly explained to his friend how wonderful his new car was. Sulley didn't even remember clearly what they said to each other, it was so superficial. ''Bye, see you tomorrow,' that kind of thing. Nothing meaningful. 'I should have said more,' Sulley thought bitterly. He'd have said what a good friend Mike was, how Sulley valued him. How he and Celia were lucky to have each other, and Sulley was lucky to have them both as friends. Too late now.

Sulley received the call from the hospital an hour after they'd left. Eyewitnesses at the scene couldn't quite be sure whether the car wandered into the path of the oncoming lorry, or if the lorry swerved off course and hit the car. Either way, as they looked at the mangled wreck of Mike's new car, they all agreed that no one could have survived, but that it would have been quick.

Mike and Celia had had no children. Apart from three sisters, Celia had no family. The organizing of the funeral fell to Sulley. One by one, everyone from Monsters Inc. clapped Sulley on the shoulder and murmured condolences. Throughout the whole day, Sulley kept his face rigid and impassive, right up until he walked through the door of his own house.

It reminded him of how he felt on Mike's wedding day. Sulley had been the best man, of course. He kept a smile fixed firmly on his face, congratulated Mike, congratulated Celia, complimented everyone, made a funny best man speech and so on. All through that long day, Sulley dreaded the moment when Celia and Mike drove off to their honeymoon destination. In that moment, he felt dreadfully, horribly, completely alone. He went home and walked into his empty flat, and the silence was almost unbearable. If felt as though he would never see his friend again.

He was wrong, of course. Mike and Celia returned from their honeymoon, and instead of having one friend, Sulley found himself with two.

This time was different. This time, Mike wasn't coming home. Not now, not ever. That was a week ago, and it felt like a lifetime. Sulley was offically retired, and the time hung heavy on his hands. He sat in his chair in his empty house, and stared through blurred eyes at the empty armchair opposite. Now and again he still thought to himself, 'I must tell Mike this,' or 'I'll invite Mike and Celia for dinner,' before he remembered. With a sad smile, he remembered Mike's last ideas, his well-laid plans for the future. Night classes, courses, hobbies, renovations, improvements. He'd had it all planned out, what he and Sulley would do. 'There won't be enough time!' Sulley had jokingly told him. Not enough time. Now, as Sulley passed day after long, lonely day, as the minutes and hours ticked by with maddening slowness, he had too much time. And he'd have given all of it back to have seen his best friend once more.


End file.
